Barnum

American  

[bahr-nuhm] / ˈbɑr nəm /

noun

1. P(hineas) T(aylor), 1810–91, U.S. showman who established a circus in 1871.

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Barnum British  

/ ˈbɑːnəm /

noun

1. P ( hineas ) T ( aylor ). 1810–91, US showman, who created The Greatest Show on Earth (1871) and, with J. A. Bailey, founded the Barnum and Bailey Circus (1881)

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Example Sentences

“We’ve looked at it through every angle: early roll rates, delinquency rates, cash buffer, spend, discretionary spend, non-discretionary spend,” said Jeremy Barnum, JPMorgan’s finance chief, on a call with analysts to discuss earnings.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

By the time he was 15, he had joined the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus as “the world’s youngest puppeteer.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Many end up receiving far less aid than they expect, said Michael Bogardus, a financial planner at Barnum Financial Group.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Companies like Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey offered elephants, equestrian acts, clowns and contortionists in a huge Big Top that could seat thousands.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 15, 2026

But nineteenth-century America was full of “humbug,” a word used for the types of entertainment popularized by renowned promoter P. T. Barnum.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock